A Nanny’s Guide to Cleveland, Ohio

1-Tell us a little bit about you and your nanny family. How old are your charges?

Hi again, it’s Carrie Bland aka @carriethenanny on Instagram. As you read before, I live in Indianapolis with my husband and baby, but I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to growing up there, I was a full-time nanny for a sweet family for 5 1/2 years — going all over with my 3 little kiddos. I offered to do another write up and Rachel happily agreed to it. We had our home bases in the east suburbs, so that’s where a lot of these places are located. So thank you Rachel, and the rest of you, enjoy! 

2- What are some of your favorite parks to visit? What makes them special?

Preston’s H.O.P.E. Playground Park in Beachwood — miniature town for imaginary play in addition to the classic playground equipment

Parkview Playground in Mayfield Village — updated in 2020, rubber ground (which is my favorite for tiny people), and next to a large community pool to cool off in during the summer

Coulby Park in Wickliffe — good playground, baseball fields, community pool adjacent

Squire’s Castle in Willoughby Hills — good hiking, large field for playing catch or having a picnic, castle for exploring and imaginative play

Eleanor B. Garfield Park in Mentor — playground, pool, baseball fields, creek, located close to President Garfield’s family home

3-Share some of the kid friendly restaurants, cafés, ice cream stores, etc. that you frequent.

Play Day Cafe in Solon — large indoor playground with, you guessed it, a cafe that serves coffees, breakfast and lunch items, and sweet treats

Cafe O’Play in Cuyahoga Falls — similar to above, but a little smaller, so better for younger children

King Kone in Chardon — the most unique and sweetest spot for ice cream treats

The Corner Alley in Cleveland — burgers, pizzas, etc. in a sports bar themed restaurant and a bowling alley

Punch Bowl Social in Cleveland — burgers, tacos, and sharables; in addition to arcade games, foosball, bowling, and karaoke

Mitchell’s Ice Cream in Cleveland — each batch is handmade

Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop in Chagrin Falls — Euclid Beach custard (if you know, you know; if you don’t, you soon will), locally made ice cream, old fashioned candies and treats

Scooter’s World Famous Dawg House in Mentor — speciality hot dogs, hand cut fries, ice cream treats 

Geneva on the Lake in Geneva — village strip along, you guessed it, the lake!; beach access, restaurants, Adventure Zone (go carts, rock climbing, etc,)

4-Share some of the places to explore nature in your area.

Hidden Valley Park in Madison — river walking and fishing, sledding, playground

Squire’s Castle in Willoughby Hills (above)

Penitentiary Glenn in Kirtland — nature preserve and dedicated nature play area

Lake Metroparks Adventure Play in Painesville — interactive play and obstacle courses for older children

Headlands Beach State Park in Mentor — public beach, largest natural beach in Ohio

Edgewater Beach in Cleveland — near downtown, public beach, typically weekly concerts

The Holden Arboretum in Kirtland — forests, gardens, hiking trails, and a canopy walk 65 feet high

Lake Metroparks Farm Park in Kirtland — a working farm with animal experiences and holiday themed activities, such as hay rides and corn mazes

Cuyahoga Valley National Park — scenic train ride, hiking, fishing, bird watching

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park in Garrettsville — high cliffs, waterfalls, hiking

Riverside Park in Chagrin Falls — playground next to the Chagrin River, short walk to the falls and local village shops

Walter C. Best Wildlife Preserve in Chardon — hiking trails and a 30 acre lake to watch birds and feed the fish

5-Share any kid friendly places like museums, libraries, bookstores, fun hidden gems that no one knows! 

The Children’s Museum of Cleveland

Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Rainforest

Great Lakes Science Center

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Memphis Kiddie Park

The Cleveland Museum of Art

A Christmas Story House

Greater Cleveland Aquarium

James A. Garfield National Historic Site

William G. Mather Steamship

Cleveland Public Library

West Side Market

6-Plan a day for a nanny who is visiting your city with nanny kids.

Starting off going to the West Side Market Café for eggs benedict and belgian waffles

Now the main activity is difficult for me to decide on, but weather pending, I would go with either the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Rainforest *or* Great Lakes Science Center. Allow 3-4 hours at each place and include lunch at the food court or cafeteria (or pack your own).

End the afternoon with a trip to Edgewater Beach for a walk on the rocks with a view of downtown Cleveland and an ice cream at Mitchell’s or head down to Chagrin Falls to the Popcorn Shop for a sweet treat by the water and browse the Fireside Bookshop just a few doors down